Maastricht to ban French nationals from cannabis cafes

[Marco]

Note, this is a proposal by coffeeshop owners, not the government.


Maastricht to ban French nationals from cannabis cafes, but not Belgians

Thursday 04 August 2011

Cannabis cafes in Maastricht are to ban French and some other EU nationals from their premises as part of a plan to reduce the nuisance caused by marijuana smokers, the AD reports.

However, German and Belgian nationals will not be kept out when the ban is introduced in October, the paper says, quoting Marc Josemans, of the local cannabis cafe owners association.

According to Josemans, the ban will reduce the number of marijuana tourists coming to the border town by some 500,000 a year - or 20% of the total. Some 70% of the city's coffee shop customers come from abroad.

Visitors from Germany and Belgium will still be allowed in the cafes because the two countries border the Netherlands, the AD says.

City council

The paper says Maastricht city council 'takes note of the plan but does not support it'. And, it points out, the plan can be considered discriminatory because not all foreigners are being banned.

The council has been trying to reduce drugs tourism for several years.

The national government already has plans to stop everyone who is not an official resident of the Netherlands from buying marijuana in coffee shops by turning them all into members' only clubs.

The European court of justice has said this is technically possible under EU law.

[Dave near London]

I assume this also means UK citizens ..?

(ah well - as long as we have Amsterdam and the other cities)

[thefreeland]

hello,

Nederlanders mensen

na het besluit aan de Franse coffeeshop, de bevolking van Frankrijk niet langer wenst te verbieden aan de Nederlandse zien in onze wijngaarden en kelders ...

hartelijk....

the flyer:




Grow & Smoke

[bundee1]

that is some bullshit!

[Colina]

just outrageous...

[CHELSEA_SMOKERS_SOCIETY]

Whats the difference between belgie and belguiqe?

[Colina]

It's just the language they wrote it I think:

België = Dutch/Flemish
Belgique = French

am I right?

[Panog]

Yeah you are

[darkglobe]

This has GOT to be a joke What if you're French/Italian/Luxembourgish etc...and live in Belgium or Germany...Who the Fuck dreams up these Re-dick-ul-arse rules/Laws/shite...

[Marok21]

I was there yesterday and it it is really true. From 01.10.2011 only the people who come fom the borderlands (Germany, Belgium) are allowed to buy weed in Maastricht.

The owners of the shops are really sad about that but it was nearly the last option for the coffeeshops. The owner of one shop told me that they have to decrease the number of people who come to maastricht for weed. The second option would be the weed pass (cannabis club) option...

I come from Germany so it´s still ok for me but it is discrimination... but that seems to be the last option for the shops

I was really surprised when I heard from this new rule... before that I thought that they want to ban especially people from Germany and Belgium because the most customers in Maastricht are German and Belgian.

The owner told me also that it is still possible for people from other countrys to buy weed in other dutch city´s except Maastricht so that new rule will not fix the problem.

[Chrisuperfly]

I was there yesterday and it it is really true. From 01.10.2011 only the people who come fom the borderlands (Germany, Belgium) are allowed to buy weed in Maastricht.

The owners of the shops are really sad about that but it was nearly the last option for the coffeeshops. The owner of one shop told me that they have to decrease the number of people who come to maastricht for weed. The second option would be the weed pass (cannabis club) option...

I come from Germany so it´s still ok for me but it is discrimination... but that seems to be the last option for the shops

I was really surprised when I heard from this new rule... before that I thought that they want to ban especially people from Germany and Belgium because the most customers in Maastricht are German and Belgian.

The owner told me also that it is still possible for people from other countrys to buy weed in other dutch city´s except Maastricht so that new rule will not fix the problem.

Interesting, I was there July 22nd-30th and had no problems at all and did not see anyone turned away.

[Mr_Gav]

Interesting, I was there July 22nd-30th and had no problems at all and did not see anyone turned away.

Last time I checked, 22nd July came before 1st October?

[Chrisuperfly]

Interesting, I was there July 22nd-30th and had no problems at all and did not see anyone turned away.

Last time I checked, 22nd July came before 1st October?

Ah ok, I just realized that your date format differs from our date format (October 1, 2011 10/1/11 here in the states). I read it as January 10, 2011.

[darkglobe]

...and how are they going to check where people are from? ie living,will they have to show an electricity bill or rent book or what???????

[Mr_Gav]

...and how are they going to check where people are from? ie living,will they have to show an electricity bill or rent book or what???????

Probably in much the same way as they do already check now. Passport, drivers license or some other known photographic ID.